KUALA LUMPUR, 23 April 2009: Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim has called on bloggers to help inculcate the 1Malaysia concept and make it a success.

He said this genre of writing which had become increasingly popular via the Internet could spur members of society to work with sincerity and forge unity through responsible blogging.

Besides presenting critical views, he hoped that bloggers could also be positive of the right things being done by the government.

In his meeting with local bloggers here last night, Rais said that as the minister concerned, he wanted to extend friendship and not to cause difficulties to any group that could help develop a thinking society.

He said that while he was still searching for suitable (Bahasa Malaysia) words for blogs and bloggers, Malaysian culture had changed with the advent of the Internet which created a borderless cyber world.

He said the young generation were becoming less interested in the print media but turning more to the blogs and Facebook through the internet.

“I have told my staff that if they are not sensitive to what is happening in the cyber world today, their department will become obsolete,” he added.

Rais said the new development required the government to ponder over what is being said in the blogs and respond to the comments intellectually.

He hoped that bloggers would use accurate facts in their postings and not use their blogs to make baseless accusations and defame others.

“Their reputation will be eroded if they present untruths because as bloggers, their credibility is important,” he said.

Rais said that just like journalists who must adhere to journalistic ethics, bloggers must also have their own code of ethics. — Bernama